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Madisonville, Texas
Inside Madisonville's city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 79% of mapped land, higher than 84% of Texas cities. A shallow water table limits basements on 31%.
That clay share is above Madison County's 52%. FEMA's flood data list 2 flood losses since 2016 in ZIP code 77864 overlapping the city. Of its 1,921 homes, 59% were built before 1980; the median dates from 1973.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources · in Madison County
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
flood losses since 2016 in 1 overlapping ZIP
of homes built before 1980
Foundation repair in Madisonville
Foundation repair in Madisonville: shrink-swell clay limits slab homes on 79% of Madisonville's mapped land, more than in 84% of Texas cities.
About 1,500 of Madisonville's 1,921 homes are detached houses.
| Who designs the repair | The ASCE Texas Section's repair guidelines say a Texas-licensed engineer should evaluate the foundation and design the repair (2022 guidelines) |
| Prices | Cost guide ranges compared |
Soil under Madisonville city limits
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 78.5% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 31.2% |
| Septic fields very limited | 91.1% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 6.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 81.5% |
| Mapped soil | 2,769 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: expansive clay |
|---|---|---|
| Zulch | 40% | n/a |
| Boonville | 17% | n/a |
| Zack | 10% | n/a |
| Chazos | 6% | n/a |
| Hatliff | 5% | n/a |
| Tabor | 4% | n/a |
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 6.9% by land area here, and 81% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 79% of the mapped land.
Clay shrinks as it dries: 100% of Madison County is in drought on the latest map, and 79% of Madisonville's mapped land has shrink-swell clay.
On 31% of Madisonville's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
USDA rates 91% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought in Madison County
100% of Madison County is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. County detail.
Flood losses by ZIP code
FEMA flood records since 2016 in the ZIP codes that overlap Madisonville. ZIP areas reach past city limits.
| ZIP | Share of city land | Flood losses | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 77864 | 100% | 2 | $90,313 |
Homes in Madisonville
| Housing units | 1,921 |
| Median year built | 1973 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 23% |
| Owner-occupied | 70% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $121,300 |
| Single-family detached | 80% |
Nearby cities
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midway | 10 mi | 91% | 10% |
| Bedias | 12 mi | 82% | 13% |
| Normangee | 13 mi | 79% | 9% |
| Leona | 14 mi | 3% | 11% |
| Iola | 16 mi | 94% | 3% |
| Centerville | 21 mi | 0% | 9% |
| Kurten | 25 mi | 72% | 53% |
| Huntsville | 27 mi | 36% | 58% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 5, 2026) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status